Boat anchor



Oct. ,1, 1968 a. B. BUTLER 3,403,431

BOAT ANCHOR Filed April 12, 1966 Fig.3

BPI'ZIP J B0122:

INVENT OR ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,403,431 BOAT ANCHOR Bernard B. Butler, Dallas, Tex., assignor to Joseph 0. Cloyd, Dallas, Tex. Filed Apr. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 542,115 1 Claim. (Cl. 24261) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE There is disclosed a boat anchor having a coil spring adapted to receive a rope and having a pair of divergent end elements. Each of the end elements is bent at an obtuse angle toward the other at an intermediate region and thereafter bent outwardly from the other at a second intermediate region spaced between the first intermedate region and the end of the end element. Each of the end elements is sharpened and bent upon itself defining a hook.

It is often desirable that small boats be anchored or positioned at specific locations, but that the means for anchoring be easily releasable. For example, when fishing in lakes, best results can often be obtained adjacent to brush or tree stumps which may extend to near or above the surface of the water. Also, it may be desirable to temporarily anchor a boat adjacent to pilings associated with docks or other structures. Conventional anchors which engage the bed of a lake or other body of water are generally not satisfactory for such purposes in that they permit an excessive amount of movement of the boat about the point at which the anchor engages the bed of the body of water. As a result, often resort is made to the simple expedient of using a rope or chain that is tied to the tree, brush or piling to which the boat is to be fixed. This, however, has obvious disadvantages.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a boat anchor specially adapted for anchoring a boat to trees, brush, pilings or other members that are fixed in position and accessible from the boat. The boat anchor of the present invention, in accordance with a preferred embodiment thereof, comprises an elongated wire element that is bent to form a coil at an intermediate portion forming a pair of diverging end elements. Each of the end elements is then bent at an obtuse angle toward the other at an intermediate region and thereafter bent outwardly from the other at a second intermediate region spaced between the first intermediate region and the end of the end element. A portion of each of the end elements extending between the two intermediate regions is substantially straight. The end of each of the end elements is sharpened and bent upon itself defining a book. There is also provided an annular member through which the straight portions of the pair of diverging end elements pass for holding said pair of diverging end elements in crossing relationship against the biasing force of the coil. The extreme ends of the end elements are therefore biased one toward another, providing a clamp which is readily engageable with branches or the trunk of a tree. The inwardly turned, sharpened portions are adapted to cut into the bark of the tree for purposes of securing an anchor thereto. In the event the member to which it is desired to secure an anchor is of a diameter greater than that which can be accepted by the anchor, the anchor can be passed around the member and engaged with the rope or chain used for attaching the anchor to the boat.

Many objects and advantages of the invention will be come apparent to those skilled in the art as the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the same unfolds when taken in conjunction with the appended draw- 3,403,431 Patented Oct. 1, 1968 ings wherein like reference numerals denote like parts and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view illustrating an in accordance with the present invention in use;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of an anchor in accordance with the present invention; and

FIGURE 3 is a side view of an anchor in accordance with the present invention.

Turning now to the drawings, in FIGURE ,1 there is shown a boat 10 anchored to a tree 12 by the anchor of the present invention, which is designated by the reference character 14. The boat 10 is coupled to anchor 14 by a length of rope 1-6 or other suitable flexible members, such as a length of cable or chain. As best seen in FIG- URES 2 and 3, anchor 14 is formed of a length of wire 18 which is bent at an intermediate portion to form a coil 20 from which a pair of diverging end elements 22a and 22b extend. The coil 20 is suitably of sufficient diameter to receive a rope or similar member used for attaching the anchor to the boat. Each of the end elements 22a and 22b is bent at an obtuse angle toward the other at intermediate regions 24a and 24b, respectively. Each of the end elements is thereafter bent outwardly at second intermediate regions 26a and 26b, respectively, the portions 28a and 28b of each of the end elements lying between the intermediate regions being substantially straight. Each of the end elements is bent sharply upon itself near its extreme end to provide hook portions 30a and 30b, respectively, that terminate in sharpened end portions 32a and 32b, respectively.

The two diverging end elements are then forced toward one another until the straight portions 28a and 28b cross and an annular member is placed around the two straight portions for holding the pair of diverging end elements in crossing relationship against the biasing force of the coil. It will be noted that the biasing force is a function of the characteristics of the wire from which the anchor is formed, the number of turns in the coil 20 and the amount of divergence of the diverging end elements 22a and 22b. Thus, it is practical for the end elements 22a and 22b to extend outwardly as indicated in phantom in FIGURE 2 prior to application of the annular member 34.

When portions 36a and 3611 are squeezed together, the annular member 34 will move along the straight portions 28a and 28b, permitting the spacing between the hook portions 30a and 30b to be increased for opening the anchor to receive an object to be held between the jaws 38a and 38b. In this connection, it is preferred that the jaws 38a and 38b be generally curved as illustrated in FIGURE 2 from the intermediate points 26a and 26b to the hook portions 30a and 30b, respectively. When pressure is released from the handle portions 36a and 36b, the spring defined by the coil 20 will bias the jaws 38a and 38b together to hold an object therebetween.

The hook portions 30a and 30b which terminate in the sharpened portions 32a and 32b are important in that once the anchor is engaged with a tree or piling, the forces tending to pull the boat away from the desired point of attachment will cause the sharpened ends to dig into the tree or piling, increasing the ability of the anchor to remain attached to the tree.

It can therefore be seen that the anchor of the present invention makes it possible to maintain a boat a stationary position when it would not be possible to do so with conventional anchors of the type that engage the bed of a body of water. Further, the anchor of the present invention facilitates anchoring of the boat in that it can be engaged and disengaged more expeditiously than a rope which is tied or similarly attached.

The foregoing description of a preferred embodiment anchor of the invention is intended to be illustrative and not limiting of the invention defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A boat anchor comprising an elongated Wire ele ment bent at an intermediate point to form a boat rope receiving multiple coil spring having a pair of divergent end elements each of which is bent at an obtuse angle toward the other at a first intermediate region and thereafter bent outwardly from the other at a second intermediate region spaced between the end thereof and the first intermediate region and an annular member encircling each of said end elements between said first and second intermediate regions, the free end portions of said end elements being bent arcuately outwardly and backwardly to define terminal hook portions forming cam surfaces to facilitate attachment of the anchor to an object such as a submerged tree and provided with sharp ends extending toward the annular member adapted to bitingly engage said object to prevent inadvertent release of the anchor therefrom.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 46,940 3/ 1865 Putnam 24-26 1.3 70,586 11/1867 Mansur. 167,428 9/1875 Bliss. 401,398 4/1889 White 24-2613 1,894,895 1/1933 Steele et al. 2,913,797 11/1959 Hollis et a1.

FOREIGN PATENTS 916,797 8/1946 France.

13,115 1904 Great Britain.

DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner. 

